Air conditioner



Aug. 14, 1934.

W. L. FLEISHER AIR CONDITIONER Filed Aug. 19, 1952 J/ U RM HE R m n/ m NM r mm A WP L w Patented Aug. 14, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3' Claims.

This invention relates to steam jet refrigera-- tion systems and particularly to steam jet refrigerating systems which are adapted for use for air conditioning. 5 One object of the invention is to provide a simple and economical steam jet refrigeration system.

Another objectof' the invention is to provide an air conditioning apparatus which is well adapted for both summer cooling and winter heating.

In steam jet refrigerating systems the water or other liquid being evaporated in a chamber in which the pressure is maintained below atmospheric pressure, it is necessary to provide a gravity head between the evaporation chamber and the inlet to the cooled liquid circulating pump. In the systems of the prior art this has made necessary the use of a considerable length of vertical vpiping between the evaporator and the pump.

In accordance with a specific preferred embodiment of my invention the evaporator chamber and cooling interchanger are constructed as a unit, the evaporation chamber being located above and connected with the upper end of vertically arranged cooled liquid passages of the interchanger. The cooled liquid pump is mounted below the interchanger and connected to the lower end of the interchanger passages which are made of sufficient length so as not only to provide suflicient surface for heat interchange but also to provide the proper gravity head for efiicient operation of the circulating pump.

This type of construction provides a compact refrigeration unit which is economical in construction, space requirements and operating cost. The integral construction of the evaporation chamber and interchanger reduces the number of pieces of apparatus required. as it eliminates the necessity of a separate interchanger. The elimination of the usual header between the evaporation chamber and the pump eliminates the possibility of loss due to the absorption of heat by the cooled liquid as it passes through that portion of the system.

Further, the system is particularly suited for use in air conditioning systems and when so used steam may be supplied to the combination evaporation-interchanger unit for heating the air in the winter time.

These and other objects and features of my invention can be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description 55 in connection with the drawing in which:

mary condenser 5 through. which cooling water is circulated by means of the pipes 6. The primary'condenser 5 is also provided with a secondary steam ejector 'I'to which steam is sup- 7O plied through the branch pipe'8. The outlet of this secondary ejector 7 is connected to the secondary condenser 9 through which cooling water is circulated by means of the pipes 11. "The secondary condenser 9 is provided-with a tertiary 76 steam ejector 10. The condensate waterfrom the primary condenser 5 and the secondary'condenser 9 is pumped off through the pipes 12 by means'of the condensate pump 13 to the pipe 14 through which it may be supplied to the boiler 80. (not shown).

Three rows of vertical pipes, or interchanger passages 15, 16 and 17; have their upper ends connected to the bottom of the evaporation chamber 1. The pipes 15 and 16 are provided with the usual type of helical fins'to permit more efficient heat interchange. The pipe 17 is provided with a helical trough-like fin as described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 563,480, filed September 18, 1931, which not only provides for efiicient heat interchange but also is adapted for humidifying whenthe apparatus is used for winter heating as will be described in more detail below.

The lower ends of the pipes 15, 16 and 1'7 are connected to a return header 18 which is connected through a pipe 19 to the inlet of a chilled water circulating pump 20. The outlet of the pump 20 is connected through the pipe 21 to the spray-nozzles 22 in the evaporation chamber 1. The interchanger pipes 15, 16 and 1'? and the return header 18 provide storage space for the column of water necessary to produce the required cooling effect.

The pipes 15, 16 and 17 run vertically through an air-conduit 32 through which air to be conditioned may be circulated by means of a fan (not shown) preferably located with its inlet connected to the left hand portion of the conduit to cause an air circulation as indicated by the arrows.

' In the operation of the apparatus for cooling, the steam ejector unit produces a vacuum in the evaporation chamber 1, cooling the water therein by evaporation. The pump 20 circulates the cooled water through the interchanger pipes 15, 16 and 17, heat being absorbed from the air circulated in the conduit 32 by the water as it passes through the pipes 15, 16 and 1'1. From the pump 20 the water is resupplied to the evaporation chamber through the spray-nozzles 22 to be recooled and recirculated. i

The interchanger pipes 15, 16 and 1'7 are made or sufllcient length to provide the necessary gravity head at the inlet or the pump 20 to permit it to operate efficiently against the high vacuum in the evaporation chamber 1.

The apparatus may be used for winter heating as well as for summer cooling. For this purpose the steam to the steam ejector refrigerating unit is cut off by meansoi the valve 23 and steam is supplied to the interchanger pipes 15, 16and 17 through the valve 26, pipe 2'! and the evaporation chamber 1. When so operated the connection to the chilled water circulating pump 20 is closed by means of the valve 25 and the connection from the return header 18 through the pipe 29 to. the condensate pump 13 is opened at the valve 28, the lead from the condensers to the condensate pump being closed atthe valve 24.

When so operated the air may be humidified by water supplied to the helical troughs on the pipe 17 through the pipe 31. The unevaporated water being drained of! through the pipe 32. The operation of this humidifier unit is described in detail in my 'copending application referred to above.

A thermostat 34 located in the return pipe 21 controls the solenoid operated valve 33 in the steam line 4 toregulate the flow of steam to the ejectors and consequently the cooling effect produced in the evaporation chamber 1. By locating the thermostat in the return pipe 21 where it is responsive to the temperature of the water after it has passed through the interchanger passages it is possible to regulate the refrigerating eiiect in response not only to thetemperature of the cooled tion has been shown and describedvherein, it will,

of course,.be understood that it is capable of various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioning apparatus comprising an air conduit, a fluid reservoir, fluid sprays therein, a plurality of vertical pipes mounted in said conduit, having their upper ends connected to the lower portion of said reservoir and adaptedv to provide an efllcient heat interchange between the 11 d therein and the air in said conduit, a pump having an inlet connected to the lower ends or said pipes and an outlet connected to the sprays in said reservoir, a steam ejector unit connected to said reservoir to provide a vacuum therein for cooling the liquid circulated through said pipes and said reservoir by said pump, and means for supplying steam to said reservoir at certain periods for heating the air passing through said conduit.

2. An air conditioning apparatus comprisi an air conduit through which the air to be conditioned is circulated, a fluid reservoir, a plurality of heat interchanger pipes mounted vertically in said conduit having their upper ends directly connected to said fluid reservoir, means connected to the lower end of said pipes for circulating fluid through said reservoir and said pipes, means for maintaining a reduced pressure in said reservoir for cooling the fluid circulated therethrough, and means for supplying a heating fluid to said reservoir and said pipes at certain periods for heating.

3. An air conditioning apparatus comprising an air conduit adapted to carry the air to be conditioned, a fluid reservoir, a plurality of pipes arranged vertically in said conduit, having their upper ends directly connected to said reservoir and each provided with a helical fin to facilitate the interchange of heat between the air in said conduit and the fluid in the pipes, the fin for at least oneot said pipes being in the form of a trough, a pump having an inlet connected to the lower end of said pipes and an outlet connected to said fluid reservoir for circulating fluid through said pipes and reservoir, means for maintaining a reduced pressure in said reservoir for cooling the circulated fluid, means for supplyingv steam to said reservoir and pipes at certain periods for heating the air in said conduit, and means for supplying water to the trough-like fin during the heating operation.

WALTER L. FIEISHER. 

